December 2012

Expose’ MagazineOf Jackson

SuperintenDentDr. CeDriC Gray

DiSCOVer HiSVISION FOR JPS

December 2012

expose’Magazine ofJackson

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Dr. Cedric GraySuperintendent for JacksonPublic Schools

Vanessa WilliamsLearn about secrets revea;ed in her new book.

Stephanie DonaldsonOwner of Silver Gallery in North Jack-son.

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13 In The SpotlightJennie SturgisShannon BrownMarissa SimmsBianca Knight

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Market Place AdsBusiness Card Ads from area busi-nesses.

Pecan Pie RecipeThe most delicious and easiest pe-can pie recipe ever!

Rugs, Paintings, Furniture, Decorations, and Much Much More!339 Meadowbrook rd. (next to CVS pharmacy) 601.362.1133

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Genesis Variety StoreWhere Low Prices Begin!

Bells Choir Robes andWorship aids

Choir robesClergy attireChoir StolesChoir CassocksChildren’s robesWorship aids

3200 Medgar evers BlvdJackson, MS 39213

601.982.71125

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SuperintenDent Dr. CeDriC Gray

Although Dr. Gray is very busy running Jack-son Public Schools, he was gracious enough to grant an interview with Expose’ Magazine of Jackson”.

EMOJ: Where were you raised and how did you decide to become an educator?

Dr. Gray: I was raised in Millington, TN, a suburban city of Memphis. I decided to be-come an educator for a couple of reasons; di-vine intervention between me and law school and due to the influence of several teachers that had a definite impact on my educational career as a student. I also reflected on my ex-perience as a substitute teacher as a reason to become a full-time teacher.

JpS

Jackson Public Schools

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EMOJ: Sometimes when I hear you speak, you have so much passion, was there a time when you considered going into the minis-try?

Dr. Gray: I was blessed to have been called to the preaching ministry in May of 1999. I be-lieve that God calls ministers for several types of ministries. God blessed me with a voice to speak and a passion for those who don’t have a voice.

“ . . . I was instantly bitten by the “admin bug” and imme-diately charted my course for school administration.”

EMOJ: At what point did you decide to fol-low the path of an administrator?

Dr. Gray: I decided to follow the path of an administrator at the direction of a mentor principal. Mrs. Myra I. Whitney was my first principal. She needed to be out of the school building one day and asked me to be “acting principal” for the day. It was a wonderful ex-perience. I was instantly bitten by the “admin bug” and immediately charted my course for school administration. Mrs. Whitney encour-aged me to pursue an administrative license while also pushing me to join professional or-ganizations that would enrich my experiences as a future school administrator.

EMOJ: Can you elaborate on some of the programs you envision to empower studentsand parents such as “Dads of Destiny”?

Dr. Gray: There are 3 programs I would like to highlight. The first, Dads of Destiny, is one that already existed in the district upon my ar-rival. It is a way to get Dads and father figures to come together and discuss ways to provide positive role models for our students. The second is a way to engage our students. We have commissioned our first official Student Board of Trustees. Each high school principal selected one outstanding senior to represent their student body each month for discussion and action concerning matters important to the students.

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Dr. Gray: i actually want to address the graduation rate because if we do that ap-propriately, we will take care of the drop outs. as we speak, i am conducting a deep “data-dive” that includes a review of key indicators that leverage the success of our students. We are also conducting interviews of our school principals, support person-nel and research analyst to obtain context to the issue. after this is completed, we will analyze the information and put together a plan to address this issue. the plan will yield both short-term and long-term results. this work is paramount to the success of the district in providing the education that our students and families deserve.

Dr. Gray: these students have been trained by the MS School Boards association and will meet with me regularly to discuss issues important to them. the third is an idea in its infancy for Jackson; it’s called Alignment Jackson and it’s a call to the community to strategically support the efforts in the schools. alignment Jackson will “align” the school district’s strategic plan with resources in our community.

EMOJ: I understand that you want to ad-dress the dropout rate for JPS by focus-ing on ages 10 -15, can you tell us about that endeavor? Also, do you believe that a separate academic tract for non-college-bound high school students can be help-ful in regards to lessening the dropout rate?

Dr. Cedric Gray was credited for the turnaround of several Memphis, tennessee Schools.

Jackson Public Schools

Interview Continued:

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EMOJ: What is your vision for the future for JPS, where would you like to see the district in the next five years?

Dr. Gray: answering that question would fill a book, however; the abridged version is that i see JpS as the flagship district of the state where innovation and high perfor-mance is the standard and accepted prac-tice. the numbers of graduates increase by 10% from where it is today. in five years, we could have ninth Grade academies for our incoming high school freshmen located in two parts of the city that will be exclusively for students transitioning from middle school to high school. JpS will become the choice of our families and not just the only option.

EMOJ: Would you like to add any closing remarks?

Dr. Gray: Leading schools should not be about just one person. Like a good football team, the coach is essential but he doesn’t play the game. providing a high quality education for our children is a collective ef-fort. the team must be focused and driven to accomplish the goal in spite of constant distractions and proverbial noise. We must provide the appropriate educational envi-ronment for our children so that they score often and ultimately win in life.

Below: Dr. Gray speaks to Jackson Public School Students

eMOJ Staff Writer

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Vanessa Williams has written a new book which was co-authored with her mother, entitled: “You Have No Idea”.

in her book she discusses intimate details of her life such as a time when she was sexu-ally molested by a family friend when she was only 10 years old. She also talks about her beauty pageant de-throning and much more.

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Stephanie Donaldson

Meet Stephanie, owner of Silver Gallery located in north Jackson in the same shopping center as Marshalls, and is right next door to Sallys in that Shopping center on County Line road.

Stephanie sells a variety of classy but very affordable jewelry, hand-bags and more. She also does embroidery too!

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Jennie SturgisOwner of noah’s ark Daycare Center

4755 Mcwillie Dr, Jackson, MS

Phone: 601-982-8156

Shannon BrownOwner of Laces By Lexi

111 Colony Crossing WayMadison, MS

Phone: 601-826-8420

Marissa SimmsOwner of royal Bleau

One university place, JSuOn Cover of EMOJ november 2012 edition

Business Phone: 601-321-9546

Bianca nightOlympic Gold Medalist

On Cover of eMOJ October 2012 editionMetro Jackson native

in the Spotlight

601.427.5973

Laura Stubbs, D. C.Doctor of Chiropractic

Body in Balance Healthcare5472 Watkins DriveJackson, MS 39206

Chiropractic, rehabilitation, Messages601.622.2998

Chiropractic

Easy Pecan Pie Recipe For the Holidays!

1 Cup of Sugar1 Cup of light Karo Syrup3 eggs, beaten2 t. Butter, melted1 t. Vanilla1 Cup of pecan Halves1 unbaked pie Shell

Mix sugar, eggs, syrup, vanilla and melted but-ter. add pecans and blend. pour into un-cooked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 50—55 minutes.